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Solder iron vs gun?
- Thread starter Techx
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Irons are infinitely easier to do delicate work with. I couldn't imagine using a gun for any of the stuff I do. Guns have their place doing some auto work or anything with big lugs that would suck the heat out of an iron, but other than that irons are the way to go.
Invest in a decent iron, it makes a big difference compared to those dollar store pos.
Invest in a decent iron, it makes a big difference compared to those dollar store pos.
I swear by my Hakko 936 ESD workstation, but it's a little pricy for anyone just starting out in electronics.
Anyhow, I'm fond of the 15/30 watt selectable iron that Radio Shack has. At 15 watts, it's perfect for fine soldering, and at 30W it's perfect for soldering large contacts and desoldering things.
If you've got money to burn or are seriously considering electronics as a long term hobby, then definitely get a temperature controlled soldering station. The difference between one of these and a regular 'always-on' pencil iron is night and day...
edit: I also own a Weller 100/150W gun, which I use for desoldering very large items and other things that need brute force. Beyond that, the gun sits on the shelf... most guns produce far too much heat to be useful for any kind of 'practical' soldering.
Anyhow, I'm fond of the 15/30 watt selectable iron that Radio Shack has. At 15 watts, it's perfect for fine soldering, and at 30W it's perfect for soldering large contacts and desoldering things.
If you've got money to burn or are seriously considering electronics as a long term hobby, then definitely get a temperature controlled soldering station. The difference between one of these and a regular 'always-on' pencil iron is night and day...
edit: I also own a Weller 100/150W gun, which I use for desoldering very large items and other things that need brute force. Beyond that, the gun sits on the shelf... most guns produce far too much heat to be useful for any kind of 'practical' soldering.
phasmatis_nox
[H]ard|Gawd
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Solder guns = teh no.
jasonlitka
2[H]4U
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I've got 8 (yes, 8) of those 15W/30W Radio Shack irons, they're pure crap. I bought my Weller Portasol PSI-100 a year ago and I'll never go back to an electric iron, especially not from Radio Shack. Plus, it's useful when making Creme Brulee since I don't own a culinary torch...
I own a Portasol torch, and I hardly ever use it... I find the soldering iron tip gets way too hot - if you leave it going long enough, the tip eventually glows red! I found I was constantly touching the tip to a wet soldering sponge to cool it down before I used it. Also, I find it too big and awkward to use precisely. I certainly wouldn't do SMT stuff with it...
But for soldering heavy stuff, the heat output of the thing was amazing. I still use it for things like car wiring, where you want heat and aren't concerned about precision.
IMO, there's nothing better than a good temperature-controlled soldering station. Temperature is important; too high and the flux burns up right away and you get a crappy joint, too low and you get a cold solder joint.
What the world needs is a temperature-controlled soldering station that runs off propane
I have a Metcal soldering station that I got in pieces off of Ebay. If you are patient enough, you can get the power supply, soldering stand, handle and a few tips for about $100. New units sell for about $500. Although this seems like a lot, you would be hard pressed to find a unit that has more than 100 tips in various temp ratings (500, 600, 700F) and in many shapes and sizes. Everything from 1/64" tip to units where you could solder an entire socket or so. They have desoldering units and SMT tweezers for really fine work.
The nice thing is that they hold their temperature very well and the unit can fire up in about 15 sec. If you are going to be away from the desk for more than a moment, you can shut them off and not have to wait minutes for it to warm up.
The nice thing is that they hold their temperature very well and the unit can fire up in about 15 sec. If you are going to be away from the desk for more than a moment, you can shut them off and not have to wait minutes for it to warm up.
jasonlitka
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Originally posted by gee
I own a Portasol torch, and I hardly ever use it... I find the soldering iron tip gets way too hot - if you leave it going long enough, the tip eventually glows red! I found I was constantly touching the tip to a wet soldering sponge to cool it down before I used it. Also, I find it too big and awkward to use precisely. I certainly wouldn't do SMT stuff with it...
But for soldering heavy stuff, the heat output of the thing was amazing. I still use it for things like car wiring, where you want heat and aren't concerned about precision.
IMO, there's nothing better than a good temperature-controlled soldering station. Temperature is important; too high and the flux burns up right away and you get a crappy joint, too low and you get a cold solder joint.
What the world needs is a temperature-controlled soldering station that runs off propane
Which Portasol do you have? Mine never does that. I just did a quick test. I filled it up, turned the temp up as far as it goes and lit it up. After letting it run for 40 minutes without doing anything it looked perfectly normal, no glowing at all. Maybe yours was defective...
Also, I don't think that the PSI-100 is very large at all. It's about the same size as the crappy Radio Shack 15/30 irons. Plus, the neck is shorter than a normal iron so my soldering is much more accurate.
I've got one of the first Portasol irons that Weller put out. I don't even think it has a model number, it's a blue iron with "portasol" written on the side and nothing else.
Could be defective, or it could just be the first product they put out. We recently won a decent amount of money in an office lottery pool, maybe I'll treat myself to a new iron..
i got one of those 15watt/30watt radioshack irons recently to mess around with. probably doesn't have 4 hours of time plugged in, and i've only done maybe a 100 solders with it... but so far it's been pretty good. if you do light soldering, or are just getting into it... it's 12$ well spent.
jasonlitka
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Yeah, I've seen pictures of that one. I believe that it's the PSI-1 (or perhaps PSI-10). THe PSI-100 is much better at keeping a static temperature. It's a little pricy but I think it's certainly worth the money if you want a quality iron that is easy to handle.